


My Friend...

by XProphaneX



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Addiction, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Goodbyes, Guilt, Mana adict, World of Warcraft: Legion Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-01-09
Packaged: 2019-03-02 19:57:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13325394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XProphaneX/pseuds/XProphaneX
Summary: SPOILERS! If you have not played threw Azsuna in Legion and you don't wish to get spoiled for one of the quest chains, please do not read.What is worse than watching a friend slip away? Realising too late that they where your friend to begin with.





	My Friend...

**Author's Note:**

> This story came from my frustration that I cannot react to NPC's as much as I wish I could. What follows is what would have happened if I could do as I wanted.  
> If you like what you read or don't, please feel free to leave a comment. As always I appreciate it. Thank you for reading 
> 
> (Newly edited for a better read...I hope)

The sound of arrows splitting the air as they left Ange's bow peppering the bodies of the Nightfallen and Withered alike was almost inaudible over the hiss and groans of the swarm pouring into the glade like locusts, stopping only to consume the raw mana of anything they could find. Leaping from the rock face they crawled over like a living tide, snatching wayward welplings from the air, oblivious to the bites and scratches the young ones inflicted of lavender skin in an attempt to get free, so hungry these Withered where in their unending lust for mana.

Angelil turned at the sound of a distressed dragon whelp close by and saw one of the Withered bearing down on a tiny dragon he recognised.

“Emmigosa!” He yelled loosing an arrow at her attacker.

The Withered crouching over the little body didn't even look up as the Blood Elf sank an arrow into it's shoulder already too engrossed in feeding. Angelil ran forward, kicking the skeletal creature away and shot it point blank in the skull, ending it. Sunsight yowled, in line with her masters fury, leaping on a second Withered coming up behind Angelil, intending to steal the little whelp for itself. The Lynx ripped out it's jugular with one powerful bite before taking a protective stance teeth bared in warning.

The Blood Elf knelt down, guarded by his faithful pet as he carefully pulled Emmigosa into his arms and pressing his last lay-crystal to her chest, letting it slowly re-energize the poor little dragon, his heart hammering harder in his chest before a tide of relief washed over him. She stirred in his arms and let out a feeble little cry, the small sound almost missed as the louder bellows of her fellow blue dragons filled the glade.

“Angelil!” Khadgar launched an energy ball at a few incoming Nightfallen that had sniffed the mana coming from the crystal in the elf's hand. The Archemage waved frantically, indicating Stellagosa who was still keeping a protective watch on a slowly increasing number of little ones that flocked to her safety. They flapped frantically around their elder sibling, distressed by the noise and the cries of their brothers and sisters.

Emmigosa held securely in his arms Ange pushed himself from the ground and started towards the human at a run, trusting Khadgar to cover his sprint. He was not disappointed, Withered and Nightfallen that where attracted by the the dragon in his arms where sent flying or dropped dead as powerful balls of energy snuffed the life out of them. Sunsight ran behind Ange covering his back, but she had very little to do with such powerful cover fire.

“Stellagosa needs to speak to you urgently.” The Archemage said and threw another blast into a group of Withered running and lurching up the path, scattering them like pins. “They really don't give up do they?”

“No. They really don't.” Ange shook his head and clapped the Archmage on the shoulder, just as he was launching another magical attack. The birhgt ball of laight swerved wildly from its intended target and instead took out a group of Nightfallen swamping one the the larger blue dragons that had been dragged from the air and was struggling to take off. Khadgar gave the Elf an look of exasperation but nothing more and the red head took off with a little "oops" and a smile his lips.

Up on the rise Angelil placed the recovering Emmigosa on the ground by her older sisters feet. The whelpling made a distressed keen when he let go of her, and it tugged on his heartstrings enough to keep him on his knees, stroking her scaly snout with two fingers while she calmed again.

“She seems to have taken a shine to you, Angelil.” Despite the havoc raining down on her family from all sides her voice still managed to retain some affection and warmth when she watched the Blood Elf calm her frightened little sister.

“Well she has good taste at least.” Ange chuckled and looked up at the impressive dragon towering over him. “You needed me for something? Other than using Withered as target practice?”

“After your revived Credonu he came to me and told me that the saw a Nightfallen going into the Layhollow.” she turned her head towards the entrance to the cavern at the back of her Grandfathers mana pool, the crystals jutting from the mouth of the cave and the glowing flora pulsed softly with renewed power now that the lay-lines where no longer being drained by the mad Prince. “I don't like the sound of that.” Stellagosa continued gravely “Grandfather seems to be holding his own, but the Archemage and I will keep an eye on him. Will you go investigate our cave for the Nightfallen?”

Angelil looked over to where the great elder dragon was doing battle. There was hardly an inch of him that was not crawling with Withered, like ants on an bear they swarmed Senegos. He thrashed his head left and right in an attempt to throw off his clinging attackers, his sharp toothed maw opening and closing, the bones of the Nightfallen and Withered unlucky enough to fall into it splintering under the power of his jaws and dropping into the water below him.

Withdrawing his hand from the now resting Emmigosa's snout, Ange pulled his bow from his back and whistled to Sunsight who's ears pricked up and leaped to her masters side. Without another word he nodded to the Blue Drake and hunter and pet set off in the direction of the cave entrance. Keeping to the background to remain unseen.

It seemed like the mana addicts where no longer interested in small game, they where concentrating on the large dragons and every time some space opened up on the Senegos's body another addict leaped into place, they waded through the glowing pool to reach the him or threw themselves at him from the bank. It took all of Ange's willpower not to start picking them off to bring some relief to the old dragon, but he had to remind himself that he had a job to do.

With a few sharp hand signals Sunsight hung back in some of the foliage of the caves entrance and waited for her masters call to attack. Skilled Elven feet padded quietly on the sand inside the cave's mouth so as to make as little sound as possible. Pulling an arrow from his quiver Ange set it to the bowstring and kept to such shadows as could be found in a cave filled with glowing mana crystals. He stood, back pressed against one of the largest rocks just inside the mouth of the cave and listened intently.

The sound of splashing and heavy breathing came from right on the other side of his current position, the sound of his prey so close had the elf holding his breath for a steadier shot, he drew back the bowstring and moved silently to the edge of the rock and slid around, dropping gracefully to one knee aiming in a split second, about to let fly-

“Angelil...is that you, my friend?” He stopped himself just in time and let the arrow and bow drop as the familiar voice rose weakly from the small pool of Lay-infused water behind the boulder. The words where followed by a bout of heavy coughing, chest heaving expulsions of air that sounded like bones should be breaking with each one.

Collapsed in the pink-purple pool of glowing water was Runas, the Shamed. HE was soaked to the skin, his usually bone white hair a dark ivory and heavy with water. The painfully thin addict was shaking violently, but Ange knew that it was not the cold of the water or fear of the battle outside that was causing the violent tremors through the Nightfallen's skeletal frame, nor was it the cause of such difficulty in drawing breath. Runas's body was in agonising pain.  
“Yes, It's me Runas.”

Angelil abandoned his weapon and started wading into the water toward the Nightfallen, who was slipping ever further into the water, trying to submerging himself to ease the ache in his skin and bones. Glowing purple eyes looked up at him as the Blood Elf knelt in the pool and held him in the water keeping his head above the surface, he was almost cradling him. Ange could feel just how little flesh there was to Runa's body, how tightly the coal coloured skin with it's glowing arcane markings was stretched over his ribs and spine.

“I am weak....the hunger is devastating, my friend. I understand now...why your dragon rests in these pools...” Another volley of coughing, hard enough to shake Angelil as he held Runas securely, the Blood Elf tightened his grip afraid that he would break the bones in his grasp. The tremors running threw the addict seemed to be growing worse with every passing moment. “I came to warn you...b-but it looks like I was too late.”

“It's alright, you did your best.” Ange muttered soothingly as he could manage.

Runas's bony, slightly clawed hand reached up to scratch at his own taught face, scraping over his cheek and neck over and over as if trying hard to stop an itch he couldn't find. Angelil took the shaking hand and pulled it away from the sunken dark-skinned cheek before the already raw skin there became more damaged. When Runas stopped pulling against his grip and his hand stilled again, Ange lead it back under the water. The Blood Elf started to scoop up handfuls of the cold water and poured them over the dark skin of his face, trying to sooth the ache and itch.

A greater commotion started coming from outside the cave, laughing and crashing and the sound of monstrous footsteps. Ange turned his head to listen closer to the sounds but had to turn back to the Nightfallen when Runas' gasped and set off a fresh wave of coughing, born of sheer panic, it was only thanks to Ange's arms that he didn't slip under the water and drown himself.

“I hear him outside now.” Runas gasped between pained breaths “Ael'yith...is...here!” Runas looked at the Blood Elf next to him, afraid, eyes wide with fear at what could be coming...at what was coming, unstoppable as a crashing tide. Ange shook his head softly, ignoring the voice in the back of his head that told him to prepare, to ready himself for the next step.

“I will deal with the Fallen Prince Runas, you have nothing to fear from him. You just need to stay here in the pool till you are feeling better.” Ange looked around for small crystals, his green eyes searching the bottom of the pool, anything he could use to stave off what he knew was coming, but to no avail. Water and stones so large he had no way of breaking surrounded them...his pack he had emptied helping the dragons.

“This hunger is consuming my very mind...It is taking every ounce of my energy to just...to just...” Runas tried to scratch at his face again but Ange's hand caught his bony wrists and kept a firm grip until the Nightfallen stopped fighting against his hold once more. Runas turned his glowing gaze up to Ange's face again after looking into the water for a little while in silence. “Can you hear me, my friend?”

Ange was about to scoff at such a strange question, he was right next to him, he looked down with a raised eyebrow...only then did he come to the horrible realisation that though the shrunken face was indeed turned his way, the blank lavinder eyes where looking a little to the right of his face.

  
  


“I can...I ca...I can not see you anymore...” the strain of fear in Runas' voice was like a blade in Angelil's chest, the stuttering confession was accompanied with a breathy laugh of nervousness, an attempt to cover the creeping fear of realisation as it dawned.

“I...I can hear you Runas.” The words where strained with unbidden emotion. “I'm here.”

“I think....that perhaps it is time to say goodbye then?” The Nightfallen with what seemed like all of his strength stood out of Ange's embrace, his other hand came from inside the tattered robes around his hips fist balled tightly. Ange moved back, it was pointless to stay in the water any longer, Runas could no longer feel his comforting hold, in truth he had probably stopped being able to feel anything but the pain a while ago now.

“We don't need to say goodbye Runas.” Could the Nightfallen even hear him anymore? Who was he fooling? Surly not himself.

“Thank you, my friend, for letting my last few hours...mean something.” Runas said, a smile tightening the skin around his gaunt face even more. This voice quivering like his body with the last emotion he would ever feel that wasn't hunger. Eyes searching for the hunter sightlessly.

“Runas, I-” Ange felt the need to say something, anything, but the time had already gone.

When Runas withered there was nothing spectacular about it. His tall thin body slowly crumpled in on itself almost like it was trying to curl up into a ball, back bowing over, feet turning inwards. His hand finally curling up into claw more than fingers, sharp as daggers. His shoulders hunching forward and arms hanging limply at his sides.

Ange watched, glowing green eyes glued to the scene before him as tears started to fall down his face. He crouched down, picking up his bow and the arrow he had let drop. His eyes never left the body as it withered further, the charcoal of his skin dimming to a white-grey, he raised his bow taking aim...

Silence reigned in the entrance of the cave, as the Blood Elf looked at the Withered standing in the pool of lay-water, unmoving apart from it's shallow breathing and the tiny sway of it's body keeping balance. Ange seemed frozen even as he watched it finally lurch into life, if it could be called a life. As it moved its hands something fell from it's curled claw and splashed into the water. The Withered that had formally been Runas looked into the water with a primitive, wordless sound that almost could have been curiosity.

The arrow in Ange's bow was as still as stone, aimed directly at the Withered's head...but the bowman could do little more than stare blankly as tears continued to leaked down the corners of his eyes, blurring his vision. He should let the arrow fly and put Runas out of his misery, it was the kindest thing to do, he had done it before, to his own people when...when...

The seconds stretched on as the Withered shuffled around in the pool for a few moments. Shambling aimlessly this way and that, and then with an excited kind of sound started shuffling out of the water. The bowstring tightened further as Ange tried again to force himself to fire but the Withered walked right past the Blood Elf and towards the back of the cave, ignoring him completely.

As the shuffling footsteps faded to nothing there was a soft yowl from the shadows of the cave. Ange turned his head, finally taking his eyes off the space where Runas had been, Sunsight padded up to him and sat down close, her furry muzzle leaned in to rub affectionately against his cheek. She sniffed at the salty tracks that the tears had made down her masters face and used her fur to dry them. The hunter finally dropped his bow and buried his hands in the big cats thick fur and he rested his face against her shoulder and hugged her around the neck.

Sounds came again from outside, the triumphant sounds of Prince Ael'yith as he began some grand speech about his victory, and the cries of Senegos in agony brought the Hunter back from his silent state of shock and grief. He could hear the dragon crying out for his aid. “Help me, little one!”

His hand dropped to his bow and as he made for the cave entrance he whistled for his pet to follow. The Prince would die with a thousand arrows in his body if Ange had his way. One for every whelp his people killed and one for Runas, who had given his all to try and warn them.

~*~

In the end it had only taken a single arrow to the heart to fell the Prince, though to get to that point it had taken many more and a lot of hard work from both Sunsight and Angelil and a healthy dose of luck, but in the end the Blue Dragons where safe. Senegos, near death from the first time they had met was finally standing hail and healthy, empowered by the return of the lay-lines mana to his pool. He had told Ange that his flight would always be in the Blood Elf's debt.

Ange had received his next mission from Archemage Khadgar and even had a new fried to accompany him on his journey to the Sunken Gardens in search of the the next clue to the saving of Azeroth. It seemed that little Emmigosa really had taken one hell of a shine to him. She stuck close to him, flying just behind his shoulder where ever he went around the glade, but before he headed off again there was something he still had to address.

Khadgar watched from the shore of the small lay-pool inside the cavern as the Blood Elf leaned down into the water and took something from the sandy floor. Angelil waded back to the shore and held the little thing up for the Archemage to see a little better. It was a small silver box with a little handle on the side.

“It's a crystal grinder.” Khadgar said as he took it, turning it over in his hand. “He must have used it to powder mana crystals for a quick fix.” Ange nodded, remembering the Nightfallen doing just that when he had trudged up the hill from the ruined city with a handful of the small gems. He had watched with not a little revulsion as Runas had rubbed the powder into his skin with relish.

The Archmage looked deeper into the cave. “You didn't put him down.” it wasn't a question.

“No.” Ange said softly, following the humans gaze into the softly glowing depths. If the Withered Runas was still alive in there, he was nowhere to be seen right now. “I couldn't do it. I have never....I don't think any of my people have witnessed it before, what we are like right before we loose ourselves to the lust for mana. We only see the shell it leaves behind. I know now why people pay me to put it to take care of them, because we think its a kindness, because people like me don't know the people they used to be”

The mage said nothing, he only watch the Elf who's glowing green eyes searched the cave for a hint of the Withered a as he continued. “In the end he wasn't what I thought he was...I kept waiting for him to betray me, to betray the dragons for his next fix.” His eyes shopped roaming the cavern and slipped to the floor, ashamed.”I even threatened him.”

“If this is a trick to feed your friends then you had best hope the Dragonflight gets to you before I do, because I will kill you slowly” Ange knew that it had been his concern for the safety of the dragon whelps that had caused him to fear betrayal so much. When Runas had first suggested taking mana rich baby dragons into a city full of Nightfallen mana addicts and rabid Withered he couldn't help but assume the worst...He would have liked to have taken them back, his words and his actions on the hill, the loathing he had felt , the fact that he had only really tolerated the addict for his usefulness.

“And still...right at the end he called me “my friend”. He could have entered the feeding frenzy, slipped in among the others and nobody would have known, I wouldn't have thought to look for him...instead he came here to lay in the lay-pool in the vein hope of warning me.” his voice broke a little but he rained it back in.

Khadgar put a hand on Ange's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “You're people have struggled with addiction for years, you have seen what a thirst for the arcane can do to people. It is natural for you to be distrustful of an addict, desperation dives them to do almost anything.”

Ange just nodded, but it didn't make the guilt feel any less heavy on his heart.

The Archemage sighed a little. “I think you should keep this.” He held out the box, the sliver reflecting the glowing purple and pink of the cave “I think that he wanted to give it to you before he turned, to remember him by. You might not have been his friend before when you met him in the cave or down by the hill, but you where when it counted most. At the end.”

Ange took the grinder without question not trusting his voice and held it in his hand tightly, so tightly the leather of his gloves creaked. Khadgar took that as his sign to leave, walking back out into the air outside and leaving the Elf well tended by his ever present Lynx and his new dragon friend. Maybe he could call in a small favour with Senegos, and have the what was left of Runas be left alone. He had a feeling the Withered wouldn't cause any problems in the cave.

Ange slid the grinder into his backpack and after a moment to collect himself. It was the sad truth that when a person didn't know what to say, it was only after it was too late that the perfect words came to mind, as they did now. Angelil stood up tall and addressed the back of the cave as though the Nightfallen where standing there to hear him.

“Thank you for all of your help Runas, son of Indarril. We make a great team...I look forward to our continued co-operation...My Friend.”

 

 


End file.
